Saturday, January 31, 2015

Happy Birthday - 1/31

Happy Birthday to ~

SS Juan Pineda (17)
An international free agent signed out of Panama during the 2014 July 2nd signing period, Pineda has not yet started his professional career.

One former Astro celebrates today as well (you may have heard of him) ~

Lynn Nolan Ryan (aka the Ryan Express) was drafted in the 12th round in 1965 by the Mets and signed as a free agent with Houston in November of 1979 where he pitched from 1980 to 1988.  Despite pitching for 27 seasons with a lifetime ERA of 3.19 and WHIP of 1.247, striking out 5714 batters, throwing 7 no-hitters and appearing in 8 All-Star games, he never once won the Cy Young Award.  He was, however, elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999 in his first year of eligibility with a whopping 98.8% of the vote. Ryan is currently a Special Assistant to Astros owner Jim Crane.

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Friday, January 30, 2015

Happy Birthday - 1/30

Happy Birthday to ~

LHP Brian Holmes (24)
Drafted by Houston in the 13th round in 2012 out of Wake Forest, Holmes spent his 2014 season pitching for the Advanced A Lancaster team. In 20 appearances (10 starts), he was 5-2 with a 4.53 ERA and a 1.248 WHIP.

RHP Dariel Aquino (19)
An international free agent from the Dominican Republic, this was Aquino's second season as a professional, but his first as a pitcher. In 11 appearances, he was 1-3 with a 5.19 ERA and a 2.308 WHIP in 8.2 innings.

Tweet of the Day

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Astros Playing in the Australian Baseball League

The final winter league ended their regular season play last weekend as the Australian Baseball League prepares for their playoffs. Here is how your Astros fared in regular season play:

ADELAIDE

IF Chan Moon
.248/.349/.394 in 47 games
9 doubles, 5 home runs, 21 RBI
26BB:45SO

RHP Tyler Brunnemann
3.12 ERA and 1.077 WHIP in 22 games
9BB:21SO in 26.0IP

MELBOURNE

IF Jared Cruz
.244/.311/.280 in 25 games
8BB:34SO

RHP Lachlan Madden
0.00 ERA and 1.400 WHIP in 2 games
5BB:3SO in 5.0IP

BRISBANE

IF Connor MadDonald
.143/.143/.575 in 5 games (7AB)
(His only hit was a home run.)

PERTH

C Jake Bowey
.500/.500/.500 in 4 games (6AB)

Previously posted:
Astros in the Arizona Fall League
Astros in the Dominican Winter League
Astros in the Mexican Pacific Winter League
Astros in the Venezuelan Winter League
Astros in the Panamanian Winter League

Happy Birthday - 1/29

Happy Birthday to ~

1B Dexture McCall (21)
Drafted by the Astros in the 31st round in 2014, McCall spent his first season playing for the Gulf Coast League Astros. In 50 games, he hit .258/.338/.343 with eight doubles, two triples, one home run and 29 RBI.

C Hank Conger (27)
Originally drafted by the Angels in the first round in 2006, Conger came to the Houston in a November 2014 trade that sent C Carlos Perez and RHP Nick Tropeano to the Angels. In 251 major league games for the Angels from 2010 through 2014, he hit .224/.294/.353 and had a 22% caught stealing rate.

One former Astro also celebrates ~

RHP Brian Meyer (52)
Drafted by Houston in the 16th round in 1986, Meyer pitched in 34 games for the Astros from 1988 to 1990 with an ERA of 2.84 and a WHIP of 1.263. He went on to play in the minor leagues for the Seattle and Cleveland organizations in 1991, but never got back to the majors.

Tweet of the Day

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

LBPRC Championship Series Recap

Yesterday, a champion was crowned in Puerto Rico, and Santurce added another championship to their storied legacy. This was their first Puerto Rican championship since 2000, and 13th overall. Consequently, this will also be their first appearance in the Caribbean Series in 15 years.

Santurce 5, Mayagüez 3 (Santurce wins series 4-2)

The Cangrejeros scored the game's final 5 runs; 4 of those came in the bottom of the 8th and put them in the lead. Ruben Sosa put them on the board with an RBI double in the 5th. Travis Ballew came out of the bullpen in the bottom of the 7th and although he gave up a hit and issued a walk, he managed to get the final 2 outs of the inning.

On Monday, Culiacán won the LMP Final as they topped Jalisco 4-3 in game 5. Leo Heras went 0-4 and drove in a run in the 6th on a force play.

Happy Birthday - 1/28

Happy Birthday to ~

LHP Randall Fant (24)
Drafted by Houston in the 29th round out of the University of Arkansas, Fant started his 2014 season and ended it with Tri-City, with a side trip to the GCL in between. In 16 appearances (six starts), he was 3-3 with a 3.62 ERA and a 1.329 WHIP. He walked only nine batters and struck out 57 in 49.2 innings pitched.

These former Astros mark the day as well ~

IF Pete Runnels (died May 20, 1991 at 63)
Runnels came to Houston in a November 1962 trade with Boston and played in 146 games for the Colt .45's in 1963 and 1964, hitting .246/.329/.287. Runnels was a three-time All-Star for Boston with a .291 career batting average and he led the American League in batting average in 1960 and 1962.

RHP Oscar Henriquez (41)
Henriquez signed with Houston as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela in 1991 and pitched in only four games for Houston in 1997 with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.250 WHIP. He was subsequently traded to the Marlins in a package for Moises Alou in November 1997.

LHP Wesley Wright (30)
Dequam LaWesley Wright was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the seventh round in 2003 and came to Houston as a Rule 5 pick in 2007. In 286 appearances over six seasons, Wright had a 4.44 ERA and a 1.427 WHIP. His contract was purchased by Tampa Bay in August 2013. He pitched for the Cubs in 2014 after signing with them as a free agent in December 2013.

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Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Happy Birthday - 1/27

No future Astros with birthdays today, but two former Astros celebrate the day ~

LF Phil Plantier (46)
An 11th round pick by the Red Sox in 1987, this is how he got to Houston (according to Baseball-Reference):
December 28, 1994: Traded by the San Diego Padres with Derek Bell, Doug Brocail, Ricky Gutierrez, Pedro Martinez and Craig Shipley to the Houston Astros for a player to be named later, Ken Caminiti, Andujar Cedeno, Steve Finley, Roberto Petagine and Brian Williams. The Houston Astros sent Sean Fesh (minors) (May 1, 1995) to the San Diego Padres to complete the trade.
Plantier played in 22 games for the Astros in 1995, hitting .250/.349/.456 before being traded to the Padres in July of that year. Most recently, he was the hitting coach for the Padres until he was fired in October 2014.

RHP Rusty Meacham (47)
Originally drafted by the Tigers in the 33rd round in 1987, Meacham signed with Houston as a free agent in 1999 and pitched in only five games for Houston in 2000 with less than desirable results. His best season was 1992 for Kansas City when he went 10-4 with a 2.74 ERA and a 1.072 WHIP in 64 appearances.

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Monday, January 26, 2015

Astros Winter League Playoff Recaps

Results for January 22-25, 2015

Uh.... I'm sure Jayne has noticed my slacking off again. Please, excuse me while I go run for cover.

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE


The Adelaide Bite finished the regular season by taking 3 of 4 from the Melbourne Aces. They won the first 2, dropped the 3rd, and won the finale. Chan-Jong Moon appeared in all 4 games for the Bite and went 4-10 with a double, 2 RBI, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts, 2 runs scored, and 2 stolen bases. Moon finished the regular season with 20 swipes. Tyler Brunnemann appeared in game 2 of this series and got the save (8); he walked 2 in the 9th but was able to avoid further trouble; he also struck out 2.

Jared Cruz also appeared in all 4 games in the series for Melbourne. He finished 2-9 with a double, 2 runs scored, 6 strikeouts, and a stolen base (2).

By virtue of having the ABL's best record, the Adelaide Bite will have a bye to the Championship Series, which begins on February 6.

LIDOM

A new champion was crowned in the Dominican Republic, and it was los Gigantes del Cibao. They won the best-of-9 series over Estrellas with a 12-5 win in game 8 yesterday. Gigantes faced an early 2-0 deficit in the series, but they turned the tables on Estrellas by winning the next 4 games to take the series lead, and eventually, they got the win. This is Gigantes' first title. For Estrellas, their title drought continues; their last LIDOM championship occurred in 1968.

James Hoyt appeared in game 7, which was a 2-1 Estrellas victory. He came on in the 6th and although he issued a walk, he was able to get the final 2 outs of the inning.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Since I last recapped games, Culiacán has taken control of the LMP Finals as they have a 3-1 lead over Jalisco. Tonight is their first chance to close out the series; first pitch is at 7:30 Mountain.

In the 3 games that I haven't recapped, Leo Heras went 4-11 with 2 RBI, a walk, 4 strikeouts, and a stolen base, his 1st of the series.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Santurce and Mayagüez traded shutouts on Friday and Saturday, and then Santurce blew up on Sunday with a 9-1 thrashing to take a 3-2 lead in the LBPRC championship series.

Ruben Sosa had a solid weekend at the top of the Cangrejeros lineup; he went 5-9 with an RBI, 3 runs scored, 3 walks, and 2 stolen bases, giving him 4 in the series. Travis Ballew appeared out of the bullpen on Saturday and Sunday and was credited with a hold on Sunday. Ballew allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 over 2.2 scoreless innings (1 Saturday, 1.2 Sunday).

The series continues on Tuesday with Santurce looking to finish it off.

Bonus Tweet of the Day

Tweet of the Day

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Happy Birthday - 1/25

No future Astros with birthdays today, but these former Astros mark the day ~

RHP Vern Ruhle (died January 20, 2007 at 55)
A 17th round pick by the Tigers in 1972, Ruhle signed with Houston as a free agent in March 1978. In 186 games (93 starts) for the Astros from 1978 to 1984, he had a record of 39-46 with a 3.35 ERA and a 1.227 WHIP. His best season with Houston was 1980 when he was 12-4 with a 2.37 ERA and a 1.111 WHIP in 28 games (22 starts).

2B Ernie Fazio (73)
Signed by Houston as an amateur free agent in 1962, Fazio played in 114 games for the Colt .45's in 1962 and 1963, hitting .179/.270/.271.

LHP Philip Barzilla (36)
Drafted by the Astros in the fourth round in 2001, Barzilla faced two batters in one-third of an inning on June 11, 2006 and gave up a hit, leading to his major league career 0.00 ERA and 3.000 WHIP.

Tweet of the Day

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Happy Birthday - 1/24

Happy Birthday to ~

C Jake Rodriguez (23)
Drafted by Houston in the 19th round in 2013 out of Oregon State University, Rodriguez played for Lancaster, Quad Cities and Tri-City in 2014. In 51 games, he hit .128/.195/.179.

RHP Juan Hernandez (22)
Signed as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2012, Hernandez pitched for the DSL team until receiving an August promotion to the Gulf Coast League. In 13 games (two starts), he was 2-4 with a 6.82 ERA and a 1.848 WHIP.

RHP Carlos Sanabria (18)
An international free agent out of Venezuela, Sanabria spent his first professional season in the Dominican Summer League. In 15 appearances (three starts), Sanabria was 2-2 with a 2.82 ERA and a 1.617 WHIP.

Former Astros celebrating birthdays today ~

LF Sandy Valdespino (76)
Valdespino came to Houston in a December 1968 trade with Atlanta and played in 41 games for the Astros in 1969, hitting .244/.326/.277.

LHP Ross Powell (47)
Originally drafted by the Reds in the third round in 1989, Powell came to Houston from Pittsburgh in July 1995. In 27 games for Houston in 1994 and 1995, he had a 6.61 ERA and a 2.327 WHIP.

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Friday, January 23, 2015

Happy Birthday - 1/23

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Keegan Yuhl (23)
Drafted by Houston in the 35th round in 2014, Yuhl split his season between Greeneville and Quad Cities. In 18 appearances, he had a 1.98 ERA and a 1.073 WHIP. He walked eight batters and struck out 33 in 36.1 innings.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

RHP Don Nottebart (died October 4, 2007 at 71)
Nottebart came to Houston in a December 1962 trade with the Milwaukee Braves and pitched in 88 games (76 starts) for the Colt 45's and Astros from 1963 to 1965 with an ERA of 3.86 and a WHIP of 1.244. Nottebart pitched Houston's first no-hitter on May 17, 1963 against the Phillies.

2B Joey Amalfitano (81)
Amalfitano was drafted by Houston from the Giants in the 1961 expansion draft and played in 117 games for the Colt .45's in 1962, hitting .237/.317/.303.

1B/OF Benny Distefano (53)
A second round pick by the Pirates in 1982, Distefano signed with Houston as a free agent in January 1992. In 52 games for the Astros that season, he hit .233/.303/.300. In 2014, he was the Hitting Coach for the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Mets' short season A affiliate.

RHP Brandon Duckworth (39)
Duckworth came to Houston as a part of the Billy Wagner trade with the Phillies in November 2003. In 26 games (eight starts) for the Astros in 2004 and 2005, he was 1-3 with an 8.08 ERA and a 1.778 WHIP.

Tweet of the Day

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, January 21, 2015 (and one from today)

We're winding down the regular season Down Under, while two Finals series in the Caribbean are underway.

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Adelaide 6, Melbourne 4

Down 4-2 heading into the 6th, the Bite took the lead with a 3-run inning. Chan-Jong Moon finished 1-2 with a sac fly in that 3-run 6th inning and a run scored. Jared Cruz went 1-4 with 2 strikeouts for the Aces.

Game 2 of this series will take place at 7:05 Australian Central Time.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Culiacán 11, Jalisco 8 (Culiacán leads series 1-0)

The Tomateros erupted in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th innings as they scored all 11 of their runs in those 3 innings, giving them an 11-2 lead that withstood a Jalisco rally that lasted through the final 4 innings of this game. Leo Heras, in the #3 spot as usual for Jalisco, went 1-5 with a run scored and 3 strikeouts.

Game 2 of the LMP Finals is at 8:30.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Santurce 3, Mayagüez 2 in 14 innings (Series tied 1-1)



Santurce tied the game at 2 all the way back in the 5th inning, thanks to Ruben Sosa's solo homer. Ballew ended up getting the win as he allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1 over 2 scoreless. He did have to battle himself in the 13th as he uncorked 2 wild pitches; the 2nd resulted in the go-ahead run making it to 3rd.

The series will resume on Friday in Mayagüez.

Happy Birthday - 1/22

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Mike Hauschild (25)
A 33rd round pick out of the University of Dayton in 2012, Hauschild split his 2014 season between Lancaster and Corpus Christi. In 28 games (20 starts), he had a 4.32 ERA and a 1.268 WHIP. Hauschild walked 34 batters and struck out 118 in 133.1 innings of work.

RHP Jose Montero (22)
Signed by the Astros as a NDFA out of the Dominican Republic in 2010, Montero spent the majority of his 2014 season with the Greeneville Astros, making one rehab appearance in the GCL. In nine games (six starts), he had a 3.27 ERA and a 1.212 WHIP.

Hitting Coach/OF Leon Roberts (64)
A tenth round draft pick for Detroit in 1972, Roberts came to Houston in a December 1975 trade with the Tigers and played for the Astros the following two seasons. In 106 games for the Astros, he hit .267/.324/.405. For the last three seasons, Roberts has served as the hitting coach for the Astros AAA affiliate.

These former Astros celebrate the day as well ~

OF Javier Ortiz (52)
Originally drafted by the Rangers in the first round in 1983, Ortiz came to Houston in a July 1989 trade with the Dodgers. In 77 games for the Astros in 1990 and 1991, he hit .275/.374/.394.

RHP Jose Valdez (31)
Originally signed as a NDFA out of the Dominican Republic by the Yankees in 2000, Valdez came to Houston via free agency in 2009. In 24 appearances out of the bullpen for the Astros in 2011 and 2012, Valdez had a 5.88 ERA and a 1.692 WHIP. He most recently pitched in the Boston minor league system.

Tweet of the Day

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, January 20, 2015

In the Dominican Republic, Gigantes has erased their early 2-0 series deficit to Estrellas with a 5-3 victory that has evened up the series at 2 games apiece. Game 5 will be tonight at 5:00 Atlantic.

The Mexican Pacific League Championship Series is set to begin tonight in Guadalajara at 8:30 when Jalisco taking on Culiacán.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Mayagüez 8, Santurce 2 (Mayagüez leads series 1-0)

This game was busted open early as Mayagüez put up 7 in the 2nd. Ruben Sosa went 2-3 with a double and a stolen base (2) from the top of the Santurce lineup.

Game 2 will be in Santurce and will take place tonight at 7:30 Atlantic.

PROBEIS PANAMA

Caballos 8, Águilas 4 (Caballos win series 3-0)

OK, this game was the clincher, not Monday's, like I originally thought. Caballos basically dominated this series, outscoring Águilas 34-6 en route to the crown. Telvin Nash doubled in 4 at-bats and scored a run, while Jack Mayfield finished 3-4 with a double, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored. \

Caballos will represent Panama in the Serie Latinoamericana, which is being held in Panama this year. That tournament runs from February 27 to March 1 and will also feature the champions from Colombia, Nicaragua, and Mexico (not the LMP; the Mexican representative will come out of the Veracruz Winter League).

Bonus Tweet of the Day

Happy Birthday - 1/21

No future Astros with birthdays today, but three former Astros were born on this day ~

RHP Dave Smith (died December 17, 2008 at 53)
An eighth round pick by the Astros in 1976, Smith pitched in 563 games for Houston from 1980 to 1990 with an ERA of 2.53, a WHIP of 1.189, and 199 saves. He was an All-Star for the Astros in 1986 and 1990.

SS Jose Uribe (died December 8, 2006 at 47)
Uribe came to Houston as a free agent in January 1993 and played in 45 games for the Astros that season with a .245/.355/.264 batting line. His best season was 1987 when he hit .291 for the Giants in 95 games.

RHP Jeff McCurry (45)
Originally drafted by the Pirates in the 14th round in 1990, McCurry came to Houston as a free agent in January 1999. McCurry only pitched in 5 games for the Astros that year with forgettable results.

Tweet of the Day

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Probeis Panama Championship Series Game 2 Recap

It was a rather quiet Monday night in the MLB-affiliated Caribbean leagues; Gigantes blanked Estrellas 4-0 to get on the board in the Dominican Championship Series. In Mexico, their championship series is set; Culiacán walked off with a 9-8 win in the deciding game 7 to clinch a date with Jalisco. There was, however, one game featuring Astros players in the winter leagues: Game 2 of the LPBP Championship Series between Caballos and Águilas. 

Well, this series was totally dominated by Caballos as they took the crown with a 9-0 victory. They outscored Águilas 26-2 in the 2 wins. In this game, they shelled Harold Arauz for 3.1 innings. Arauz gave up 6 runs on 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2.

For the champs, Telvin Nash went 0-4, while Jack Mayfield finished 1-4 with a run scored.

Astros Playing Winter Ball in Panama

Several Astros plied their wares in Panama over the winter. Here is how they fared in regular season play:

CABALLOS

1B/OF Telvin Nash
.296/.444/.620 in 21 games
5 doubles and 6 home runs

3B Tyler White
.267/.433/.373 in 25 games
4 doubles and 2 triples

SS Jack Mayfield
.225/.293/.348 in 24 games
3 doubles, 1 triple and 2 home runs

LHP Blaine Sims
5.40 ERA and 1.542 WHIP in 3 games
6BB:8SO in 11.2IP

INDIOS

2B Rodrigo Ayarza
.218/.348/.345 in 22 games
4 doubles and 1 home run

LHP Chris Santamaria
3.18 ERA and 1.103 WHIP in 9 games
11BB:7SO in 22.2IP

RHP Juan Delis
3.24 ERA and 1.680 WHIP in 8 games
8BB:6SO in 8.1IP

RHP Jose Montero
2.25 ERA and 1.375 WHIP in 8 games
6BB:17SO in 16IP

INDUSTRIALES

RHP Agapito Barrios
0.00 ERA and 2.143 WHIP in 2 games
4BB:2SO in 2.1IP

AGUILAS

RHP Harold Arauz
2.28 ERA and 0.972 WHIP in 5 games
8BB:14SO in 23.2IP

Previously posted:
Astros in the Arizona Fall League
Astros in the Dominican Winter League
Astros in the Mexican Pacific Winter League
Astros in the Venezuelan Winter League

Happy Birthday - 1/20

Happy Birthday to ~

LHP Ben Smith (22)
Smith was drafted by Houston in the 17th round in 2014. He underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2014 and has not started his professional career yet.

One two-time former Astro celebrates the day as well ~

RHP Matt Albers (32)
A draft-and-follow pick in the 23rd round by the Astros in 2001, Albers pitched in 35 games (20 starts) for Houston in 2006 and 2007 with a 4-13 record, a 5.87 ERA and a 1.599 WHIP before being traded to Baltimore in December 2007 as a part of the Miguel Tejada trade. After spending time with Baltimore and Boston, he was traded to the Diamondbacks in July 2012. The Diamondbacks subsequently traded him to Cleveland in this dizzying transaction (per Baseball-Reference):
December 11, 2012: Traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Arizona Diamondbacks with Trevor Bauer and Bryan Shaw to the Cleveland Indians. The Cincinnati Reds sent Didi Gregorius to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cincinnati Reds sent Drew Stubbsto the Cleveland Indians. The Cleveland Indians sent Lars Anderson and Tony Sipp to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cleveland Indians sent Shin-Soo Choo, Jason Donald and cash to the Cincinnati Reds.
Matt came full circle back to Houston, signing as a free agent in December 2013. In eight games for the Astros in April 2014, he had a 0.90 ERA and a 1.300 WHIP and then landed on the DL for the remainder of the season. The Astros did not exercise his option at the end of the season.

Tweets of the Day


Monday, January 19, 2015

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Saturday, January 17, and Sunday, January 18, 2015

*all games are from Sunday unless otherwise noted

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Adelaide's magic number to clinch the best record in the ABL entering the weekend was 2. They pounded Melbourne 10-3, and the other thing they needed was a Perth loss. Well, they got the Perth loss in the same night as Canberra topped them 7-5, and as a result, Adelaide clinched the top spot in the ABL, and a spot in the ABL Championship Series.

Melbourne 6, Adelaide 4

However, the Bite were foiled in their bid to sweep the Aces as they allowed 1 run apiece in the 6th, 7th, and 9th innings. Chan-Jong Moon finished 1-3 with 2 walks, a run scored, and stole 3 bases (18).

This upcoming weekend, Adelaide will travel to Melbourne for the final series of the regular season.

LIDOM

The Championship Series is underway! Estrellas stormed out of the gates with an 11-2 victory on Saturday.

Sunday: Estrellas 7, Gigantes 3 (Estrellas leads 2-0)

James Hoyt was the 3rd reliever to appear for Gigantes and pitched 1.2 perfect innings, striking out 1.

Game 3 of this series will take place tomorrow at 7:30 Atlantic.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Jalisco 5, Obregón 3 (Jalisco wins series 4-2)

In their first year in Guadalajara, the team formerly known as the Algodoneros de Guasave will be playing for a championship. They'll await the winner of the Mexicali-Culiacán series; they're playing a deciding game 7 tonight.

Leo Heras went 0-2 with a walk.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Results from Saturday

Mayagüez 2, Santurce 1 in 11 innings 

Ruben Sosa finished 1-4 and scored the only Santurce run in the 3rd. Mayagüez scored 1 in the bottom of the 9th to tie, and 1 in the 11th to win. Travis Ballew got the loss; he allowed the winning run on 2 hits and walked 3 in 1.1 innings.

Carolina 4, Caguas 0

Carlos Corporán doubled in 3 at-bats and walked for Carolina. Roberto Peña appeared as a.... pinch-runner in the 9th for Caguas.

Sunday: Mayagüez 1, Carolina 0

Corporán went 0-3, while Jobduan Morales had a pinch-hit double in the 8th for Carolina.

The LBPRC Championship Series is set; Santurce will face off against Mayagüez beginning tomorrow.

PROBEIS PANAMA

Panama is on to their championship series as well. Caballos defeated Indios 5-1 on Friday, which set up the final matchup between them and Águilas. Telvin Nash clubbed 2 homers, while Tyler White went 0-2 with a walk. For Indios, Rodrigo Ayarza went 0-3, Jose Montero allowed a hit and struck out 2 over 2 scoreless, and Juan Delis allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1 in the 9th.

The Championship Series began yesterday, and it was all Caballos as they romped to a 17-2 win over Indios. Nash went 1-2 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored, Jack Mayfield had a double in 4 at-bats and scored twice, and Tyler White struck out in his only at-bat.

Game 2 of this series is tonight at 7:00 Eastern.

Happy Birthday - 1/19

No future Astros with birthdays today, but several former Astros celebrate ~

OF Orlando Palmiero (46)
Originally drafted by the Angels in the 33rd round in 1991, Palmiero came to Houston as a free agent in January 2004. In 420 games played for the Astros from 2004 to 2007, he hit .258/.332/.356. He won a World Series with the Angels in 2002.

LHP Ramon de los Santos (66)
Signed by the Astros as an amateur free agent from the Dominican Republic in 1972, de los Santos pitched in 12 games in 1974 for Houston with a 2.19 ERA and a 1.622 WHIP.

RHP Jeff Juden (44)
A first round pick by the Astros in 1989, Juden pitched in only six games (three starts) for Houston in 1991 and 1993 with a 5.87 ERA and a 1.478 WHIP before being traded to the Phillies, along with Doug Jones, for Mitch Williams in December 1993.

3B/1B Phil Nevin (44)
The first overall pick of the draft in 1992, Nevin only played in 18 games for the Astros in 1995 before he was traded to the Tigers in August 1995. Nevin went on to play 12 major league seasons for seven different teams, hitting a cumulative .270/.343/.472 and was an All-Star for the Padres in 2001, a year in which he hit 41 home runs. He managed the Diamondbacks AAA affiliate in 2014.

RHP Anthony Young (49)
Originally drafted by the Mets in the 38th round in 1987, this Houston native signed with the Astros as a free agent in January 1996. In 28 games for Houston that season, he had a 4.59 ERA and a 1.740 WHIP.

Manager Brad Mills (58)
Mills managed the Astros from 2010 until his firing in August 2012 with a record of 171-274. Mills was dealt a bad hand with the teams he was given, but he is now a part of the Astros history for better or worse. He was most recently the bench coach for the Cleveland Indians.

Tweet of the Day

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Happy Birthday - 1/18

Happy Birthday to ~

SS/OF Osvaldo Duarte (19)
An international free agent signed out of the Dominican Republic, Duarte started his first season in the Dominican Summer League, but received a late June promotion to the Gulf Coast League Astros team. In 35 games, he hit .275/.333/.362.

One former Astro celebrates the day as well ~

LHP Wandy Rodriguez (36)
Rodriguez first signed with the Astros on January 12, 1999 as a 17-year old NDFA named Eny Cabreja.  It wasn't until 2002 that he revealed to the Astros that he had really been 19 at the time and had used a friend's identity. ( Here is a great article by Jose de Jesus Ortiz from 2008 that helps explain the pressures facing young Dominican players who are considered old at 19.) Rodriguez pitched for Houston for eight seasons, from 2005 until his trade to Pittsburgh in July 2012, with a 80-84 record, a 4.04 ERA and a 1.339 WHIP.

Tweet of the Day

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Friday, January 17, 2015 (and one from today)

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Adelaide 10, Melbourne 3

The Bite are closing in on clinching the top spot in the ABL with this win; their magic number is now 2, so a Perth loss combined with an Adelaide win will wrap it up for them. Before I get to this game, these two teams decided to have a Royal Rumble of their own on Friday night.


Two players from each side were punished for their roles in the incident. Now... on to this game.

Adelaide busted this game wide open with a 5-run 4th inning that pushed their lead to 8-2. Chan-Jong Moon finished 2-5 with a 2-run double in that 4th inning and scored 2 runs. He also stole a base (15) in the 1st. Tyler Brunnemann gave up a single to Jared Cruz to begin the 9th, but he retired the next 3 Melbourne batters to end the game. Cruz also drew a walk for the Aces.

The Bite will look for the sweep at 1:00 Australian Central Time.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Jalisco 5, Obregón 3 (Jalisco leads series 3-2)

The Horsemen broke a 3-3 tie with a couple of runs in the top of the 9th. Leo Heras went 2-4 and hit an RBI single that gave Jalisco a 4-3 lead. He also scored a run in the 6th.

Jalisco will get their first chance to close out the series tomorrow at home at 12:30.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Carolina 7, Caguas 0

All the scoring was done in 2 innings. Carlos Corporán went 1-4, Jobduan Morales replaced him behind the plate in the 8th and did not appear at the plate.

Santurce 4, Mayagüez 3 in 11 innings

Ruben Sosa went 1-4. Travis Ballew got the win as Santurce walked off in the bottom of the 11th. He walked 1 and struck out 1 in the top half.

The matchups you see above are the same for tonight; the only difference is a change of venue. Both games will take place at 7:30 Atlantic.

Happy Birthday - 1/17

No future Astros with birthdays today, but these former Astros mark the day ~

LHP Jeff Tabaka (51)
A second round pick by the Expos in 1986, Tabaka came to Houston in a July 1995 trade with the Padres. In 42 games for the Astros in 1995 and 1996, he had a 4.23 ERA and a 1.590 WHIP.

Manager Lum Harris (died November 11, 1996 at 81)
Lum Harris managed the Colt .45's for 13 games in 1964 after Harry Craft was fired, and then was the first manager of the Astros in 1965. He had a 70-105 record.  For an extremely entertaining interview with Harris that will take you back to an entirely different era of baseball, click here. You won't regret it.

Tweet of the Day

Friday, January 16, 2015

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Thursday, January 15, 2015 (and one from today)

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Thursday: Adelaide 2, Melbourne 1

The Bite walked off with the win as Chan-Jong Moon scored the winning run on a single hit by Craig Maddox. Moon scored both Adelaide runs in this game; he hit a solo homer (5) in the 4th to put them on the board. He also stole a base (12).

Jared Cruz was 0-3 with a strikeout for the Aces; Cruz was acquired last September from the Braves as the player to be named later for Andrew Robinson.

Friday: Adelaide 8, Melbourne 2

Moon went 1-3 with a walk, a run scored, and 2 steals (14). Cruz finished 1-2 with 2 walks and scored a run.

Game 3 of this series will take place at 7:00 Australian Central time.

LIDOM

Águilas 5, Toros 3

Jonathan Villar went 2-5 with 3 strikeouts for Águilas.

The final 2 games of the round robin will not be played, as the Finals have been set; Gigantes will take on Estrellas. Estrellas clinched their spot with a 10-4 win over Gigantes, which basically made this game moot from a standings perspective.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Obregón 5, Jalisco 1 (Series tied 2-2)

Leo Heras smacked a solo homer in the 6th for Jalisco's only run of the evening.

Game 5 is set for a 7:30 Mountain start.

PROBEIS PANAMA

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Happy Birthday - 1/16

No future Astros with birthdays today, but two former Astros celebrate the day ~

RHP Jim Owens (81)
Drafted by Houston from the Reds in the 1963 Rule 5 draft, Owens pitched in 148 games for the Colt .45's and the Astros from 1964 to 1967 with an ERA of 3.60 and WHIP of 1.296.

LHP Ron Villone (45)
A first round pick by Seattle in 1992, Villone first came to Houston in a June 2001 trade with Colorado. In 50 games (25 starts) for the Astros in 2001 and 2003, he was 11-13 with a 4.69 ERA and a 1.374 WHIP. All told, he pitched in 15 major league seasons for 12 different teams. In 2014, he was the Pitching Coach for the Cubs Advanced A affiliate.

Tweet of the Day

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, January 14, 2015

LIDOM

Estrellas 4, Águilas 2

Jonathan Villar went 1-4 with 2 strikeouts for Águilas.

Toros 5, Gigantes 3

Toros took control of this game in the top of the 9th when they scored 4 runs. New Astro James Hoyt came out of the Gigantes bullpen in the 9th and was able to get the final out of the inning via strikeout, but not before he allowed a 2-run double that gave Toros a 5-2 lead.

Tonight in the Dominican, Gigantes will head east to take on Estrellas, while Águilas will host Toros. Both games will start at 7:30 Atlantic.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Jalisco 4, Obregón 2 (Jalisco leads series 2-1)

Leo Heras was in the leadoff spot for Jalisco and he finished 2-5 with a double.

Game 4 of this series will take place at 7:30 Mountain.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Santurce 4, Caguas 1

Ruben Sosa went 2-3 with a walk and a run scored from the leadoff spot for Santurce. Roberto Peña was behind the plate for Caguas and finished 0-3.

Carolina 5, Mayagüez 2

Well, this game apparently got chippy late as 2 Carolina players and 4 Mayagüez players were tossed. Martin Maldonado got plunked in the 7th and then it looked like tensions reached a boiling point. Maldonado, René Garcia, Hiram Burgos, and Mario Santiago were all thrown out.

Carlos Corporán went 0-4. while Jobduan Morales opened up the scoring with a sac fly in the 3rd. He was hit by a pitch in the 8th, which ended Mayagüez pitcher Tyler Herron's night early. Mayagüez manager Lino Rivera got his marching orders soon after. Morales ended up scoring when Enrique Hernandez grounded into a force out.

Friday night's slate has Carolina hosting Caguas and Santurce hosting Mayagüez.

Astros Trade with Altanta

The Astros announced on Wednesday (several hours after it first leaked out) that they had completed a trade that will send RHP Mike Foltynewicz, 3B Rio Ruiz and RHP Andrew Thurman to the Braves for C Evan Gattis and RHP James Hoyt.

Those who follow me on twitter probably already know that I'm not wild about this trade. Partly because I agree with Adam Everett ...
... and partly because I'm not convinced that Colin Moran will stick at third base. And third base has been a problem for the Astros for a very long time. I loved Rio Ruiz's high energy and infectious enthusiasm. And I loved that sweet swing of his. I think he will be a star. And you don't let future stars go.

I was also very disturbed that Vince Velasquez's name was associated with this trade at one point. It's bad enough that the Astros are losing Foltynewicz who I think would ultimately become the team closer, they were considering letting a guy go who has the potential of being the staff ace.

Gattis has a great story and the fans in Atlanta love him. I got an email from an Atlanta fan who follows me that said, "Not since the steroid era has a hitter excited a fan base like he has where every BP session is like hearing a canon go off and each AB is a chance to witness sheer power at the plate. Atlanta fans love El Oso Blanco and I’m sure you all will too." But there are health concerns with him that already have him moving to left field or first base or DH because of those issues. Nothing is guaranteed, but I really don't want this trade to go down in history as another Bagwell for Andersen.

With that said, if you haven't already, it is time to acquaint yourself with the Evan Gattis story. I also found this article on Hoyt which makes me like him. Plus I heard this from former Astros farmhand Alex Todd had this to say about him.
I think the worst thing about this whole trade is that it will force me to follow the Braves. And I hate the Braves. But it is now time to say fare-thee-well. You will be missed.





Happy Birthday - 1/15

Happy Birthday to ~

OF Edgar Lorenzo (18)
Signed by Houston as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic, Lorenzo played his first professional season in the Dominican Summer League. In 56 games, he hit .236/.361/.363 with 15 doubles, one triple, two home runs and 15 stolen bases.

These former Astros also celebrate the day ~

RHP Armando Galarraga (33)
Galarraga signed with Houston as a free agent in May 2012 and started five games for Houston with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.917 WHIP. Galarraga is best known for the perfect game that wasn't. Pitching for Detroit on June 2, 2010, he threw a one-hitter against Cleveland due to a blown call by umpire Jim Joyce on what should have been the final out of the game.

LHP George Cappuzzello (61)
A 27th round pick by the Tigers in 1972, Cappuzzello came to Houston as a free agent in April 1982. In 17 games for the Astros that season he had an ERA of 2.79 and WHIP of 1.190.

RHP Mike Marshall (72)
Purchased from the Brewers in November 1969, Marshall pitched in only four games for the Astros in 1970 with an 8.44 ERA and a 2.250 WHIP before being traded to Montreal in June. In 1974, he led the National League in appearances for the Dodgers with 106 and won the Cy Young Award with his 2.42 ERA, 1.186 WHIP, and 21 saves. He was an All-Star in 1974 and in 1975 for Los Angeles as well.

And one more birthday of importance ~

Terri (aka @AGirlintheSouth on twitter) celebrates today. Terri is one of the founding members of the *FBBBB Club (along with yours truly) as well as an occasional contributor to The Crawfish Boxes and Astros County.

*Female Baseball Bloggers Brunch with Booze Club

Tweet of the Day

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Astros Spring Training Non-Roster Invitees

On Tuesday, the Astros announced that 17 non-roster players have been invited to Spring Training. They are:

RHP Mark Appel
LHP Darin Downs
RHP Jordan Jankowski
RHP Brady Rodgers
RHP Jason Stoffel

C Luis Flores
C Tyler Heineman
C Roberto Pena

IF Carlos Correa
IF Matt Duffy
IF Nolan Fontana
IF Dan Johnson
IF Colin Moran
IF Gregorio Petit
IF Joe Sclafani

OF Andrew Aplin
OF Preston Tucker

Of those who haven't made their major league debuts yet, Preston Tucker, Matt Duffy and Jason Stoffel are, in my opinion, the closest to being ready with Brady Rodgers, Jordan Jankowski, Andrew Aplin, Joe Sclafani and Tyler Heineman not far behind. I don't think that Appel and Correa will be given legitimate consideration out of Spring Training this year, but I also wouldn't be surprised if either of them forced the issue. Of the others, Fontana missed a lot of time last season due to injury; Colin Moran is still very young; Pena could be inserted in a lineup today defensively, but needs more work on the bat; and Flores (about whom I know little) is behind a logjam of catchers already on the 40-man roster.

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, January 13, 2015

LIDOM

Águilas 5, Toros 4

The difference here was a 4-run 4th for Águilas. They had to hold on for this win, though, as Toros made it a 1-run game with 2 in the 8th and they had the tying run on 3rd in the 9th inning. Jonathan Villar hit an RBI double in that 4-run 4th inning.

Águilas will face Estrellas tonight at 7:30 Atlantic.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Carolina 3, Santurce 2

Carlos Corporán finished 1-2 with a walk and scored a run for the victors, while Ruben Sosa went 1-2 with 2 walks for Santurce.

Mayagüez 5, Caguas 4

Roberto Peña got the start behind the plate for Caguas and finished 1-4.

Tonight, Santurce will host Caguas, while Carolina takes on Mayagüez. Both games will begin at 7:30 Atlantic.

PROBEIS PANAMA

Águilas 4, Caballos 3 in 11 innings

Caballos scored their 3 runs in the 9th to tie the game. However, Águilas wound up walking off with the win in the 11th. Tyler White finished 2-4 with a walk and a run scored. Telvin Nash also finished 2-4; he clubbed a 2-run homer in that 9th inning. Jack Mayfield went 0-5.

Indios 3, Industriales 2 in 8 innings

Rodrigo Ayarza entered the game as a defensive replacement for Indios and finished 1-3 with an RBI. Cris Santamaria got the win; he allowed a run on 2 hits and walked 1 in the 8th.

After an off day, only 5 games remain. On Thursday, Industriales will take on Águilas, while Caballos will face off against Indios.

Happy Birthday - 1/14

No future Astros with birthdays today, but these former Astros celebrate the day ~

2B Derrel Thomas (64)
A first round pick by the Astros in 1969, Thomas only played in five games for Houston in 1971 in which he went hitless. He was traded to the Padres in December 1971 and went on to play a total of 15 seasons for seven different teams.

UT Dave Campbell (73)
Campbell came to Houston in an August 1973 trade with Houston and played in 44 games for the Astros from 1973 to 1974, hitting .158/.179/.237. After his playing days, Campbell became a broadcaster for the Giants, Padres, Rockies and ESPN.

LHP Danny Boone (61)
A second round pick by the Angels in 1976, Boone came to Houston in a June 1982 trade with the Padres. In 10 games for the Astros that season, he had a 3.55 ERA and a 0.868 WHIP. And, yes, he is a descendant of that Daniel Boone.

Tweet of the Day

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Monday, January 12, 2015

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Obregón 6, Jalisco 5 (Series tied 1-1)

Leo Heras finished 1-3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

The series shifts to Obregón on Wednesday.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Santurce 5, Caguas 4 in 10 innings

Roberto Peña entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the 7th and grounded into a double play. But... he put Caguas in the lead with a 2-run double in the top of the 9th. However, Santurce responded with a 2-run double from René Rivera to tie the game, and in the first extra frame, the Cangrejeros walked off with the win. Ruben Sosa went 3-5 with 2 runs scored for Santurce.

Caguas will face Mayagüez, while Santurce takes on Carolina. Both games will take place at 7:30 Atlantic.

Mayagüez 1, Carolina 0

Carlos Corporán went 0-2 with a walk for Carolina; they were held to 1 hit in this game.

PROBEIS PANAMA

Águilas 5, Caballos 0 in 7 innings

Jack Mayfield had the only hit for Caballos, while Tyler White went 0-2 with a walk. Harold Arauz got the start, and the win, for Águilas as he allowed just the 1 hit to Mayfield, walked 1, and struck out 2 over 6 shutout innings.

Industriales 7, Indios 6 in 11 innings

Rodrigo Ayarza went 0-5 with a strikeout for Indios. Juan Delis was the first man out of the Indios bullpen but got knocked around as he allowed 3 runs on 3 hits without recording an out in the 7th.

The finales of both series will begin at 4:00 Eastern.

Happy Birthday - 1/13

No future Astros with birthdays today, but these former Astros celebrate ~

UT Ron Brand (75)
Drafted from the Pirates in the 1964 Rule 5 draft, Brand played in 300 games for Houston from 1965 to 1968, hitting .231/.293/.270. He spent time as catcher, third baseman, second baseman, left fielder and right fielder while playing for Houston. He went on to play shortstop and centerfield for Montreal.

LHP Mike Madden (58)
Madden came to Houston, along with Kevin Bass and Frank DiPino in a September 1982 trade with Milwaukee for Don Sutton. In 71 games (26 starts) for the Astros from 1983 to 1986, he was 12-10 with a 3.94 ERA and a 1.603 WHIP.

SS Orlando Miller (46)
A native of Panama, Miller came to Houston in a March 1990 trade with the Yankees and played in 247 games for Houston from 1994 to 1996 with a batting line of .262/.307/.406. Miller left Houston in this nine-player trade to Detroit on 12/10/96 (from Baseball-Reference):
The Houston Astros traded Doug Brocail, Brian Hunter, Todd Jones, Orlando Miller and cash to the Detroit Tigers for Brad Ausmus, Jose Lima, Trever Miller, C.J. Nitkowski and Daryle Ward.

Tweet of the Day

Monday, January 12, 2015

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Saturday, January 10, and Sunday, January 11, 2015

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Perth 3, Adelaide 1

The Heat dealt the Bite their first series loss of the season. Chan-Jong Moon finished 0-4 with a strikeout.

This weekend, Adelaide returns home for a 4-game set against Melbourne.

LIDOM

Saturday: Gigantes 7, Águilas 1

Jonathan Villar finished 0-5 out of the leadoff spot for Águilas.

Sunday: Águilas 6, Toros 4

Águilas took control with 5 runs in the top of the 9th. Villar finished 1-3 with a double, a walk, and a run scored.

Today's an off day. Tomorrow, Águilas will host Toros.

LIGA MEXICANA DEL PACÍFICO

Jalisco 6, Obregón 1 (Jalisco leads 1-0)

Stretch time did the Jalisco lineup good, as they put up 5 in the bottom of the 7th to seize all the momentum in this game. Leo Heras went 0-1 with 4 walks and a run scored.

Game 2 of this semifinal series will take place at 7:30.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Carolina 10, Santurce 4

Santurce emerged from the 1st inning with a 3-2 lead, but Carolina erupted late in the game and finished it on an 8-1 run from the 6th-9th innings. Carlos Corporán went 1-4 with a walk for Carolina.

Ruben Sosa got the start in LF for Santurce and went 1-4. Travis Ballew allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and walked 2 in the 7th inning.

Caguas 6, Mayagüez 5 in 11 innings

Roberto Peña entered the game as a defensive replacement in the 6th and finished 0-2 with a walk and a run scored. Caguas trailed 5-0 heading into the 6th, but they wound up scoring the game's final 6 runs.

Today was a scheduled off day, but Saturday's games were rained out. So, Caguas will face Santurce, and Carolina will host Mayagüez. Both games will start at 7:30 Atlantic.

PROBEIS PANAMA

Results from Saturday

Caballos 8, Águilas 4

Caballos was spurred on to the win with a 6-run 4th. Tyler White had a double, 2 RBI, walked twice, and scored twice. Jack Mayfield went 0-3 with an RBI and a walk.

Industriales 3, Indios 2

Industriales scored 1 in the 8th to tie, and then one more in the bottom of the 9th to walk off with the win.

Rodrigo Ayarza went 0-2 with a walk for Indios.

Results from Sunday

Caballos 8, Águilas 1

This game was made official after 6.5 innings.

Tyler White went 3-4 with 3 RBI, while Jack Mayfield hit a double in 4 at-bats and drove in 2.

The 4th game in this series will take place at 4:00 Eastern.

Industriales 5, Indios 4

Industriales walked off with a win for the 2nd straight night. For Indios, Rodrigo Ayarza finished 1-3 with a walk and 2 runs scored, and Jose Montero pitched 2.2 innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits (1 homer), walking 2, and striking out 2.

Game 4 of this series takes place at 7:00 Eastern.

Happy Birthday - 1/12

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Francis Ramirez (23)
Ramirez was signed by Houston as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic and first played for the DSL Astros in 2009. In 2014, he pitched for Tri-City. In 15 games (eight starts), he was 2-5 with a 3.62 ERA and a 1.329 WHIP. He struck out 45 and walked 21 in 49+ innings pitched.

And two former Astros celebrate birthdays today ~

2B/OF Casey Candaele (54)
Obtained from the Montreal Expos in a trade for Mark Bailey, Casey Candaele played for Houston from 1988 to 1993, hitting .249/.311/.338 in 512 games.  His mother, Helen Callaghan, played for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, giving Casey the distinction of being a part of the only mother/son combination ever to play professional baseball. Casey liked to keep things loose.  In case you missed this interview from 2011, Casey talks about naked batting practice, the Moneyball movie and more.  And then there was the break-dancing at the Astros Wives Gala.  You may also enjoy this Jayson Stark column from 2000 (scroll down) in which Casey reveals his dream of joining the Latvian ski-jump team.

1B/OF Mike Simms (48)
A sixth round draft pick by the Astros in 1985, Simms played in 181 games for Houston from 1990 to 1992 and in 1994 to 1996, hitting .219/.298/.388. He went on to play for the Rangers from 1997 to 1999, hitting .281/.352/.555 in 149 games.

Tweet of the Day

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Happy Birthday - 1/11

Happy Birthday to ~

3B Randy Cesar (20)
An international free agent from the Dominican Republic, Cesar played the majority of his season with the Gulf Coast League team, receiving a late August promotion to Greeneville. In 52 games, he hit .273/.309/.381 with 12 doubles, three home runs and 15 RBI.

Tweet of the Day

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Friday, January 9, 2015 (and one from today)

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Adelaide 8, Perth 7

This turned out to be the only game on the ABL slate; the other 2 games, which were taking place on Australia's East Coast, were both postponed. The Bite withstood a late charge from the Heat and held on for the win.

Chan-Jong Moon led off the top of the 9th with a double, and he eventually scored a critical insurance run on a sac fly. In the 6th, he grounded into a force out that brought in a run, and in the 1st, he scored on another sac fly. Tyler Brunnemann recorded his 7th save of the campaign, getting the final 4 outs of the game. He allowed an unearned run on a groundout (runner reached on an error) and a single in the 9th, and struck out 1.

The series finale will take place at 11:05 A.M. Australian Western time. That's 9:05 P.M. tonight, Central time.

LIDOM

Estrellas 4, Águilas 3

Jonathan Villar homered in the 8th inning to bring Águilas to within 1. Estrellas pulled into 2nd place in the round-robin with this win.

Tonight, Águilas will face Gigantes, who currently top the round-robin table. First pitch is at 7:30 Atlantic.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Santurce 10, Carolina 0

Ruben Sosa got the start in LF for Santurce and finished 1-3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

Carolina was held to 2 hits. Carlos Corporán went 0-2, and Jobduan Morales grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the 9th.

Santurce will take on Caguas, while Carolina hosts Mayagüez. Both games will take place at 7:30 Atlantic.

PROBEIS PANAMA

Águilas 5, Caballos 4

Caballos may have solved their offensive woes, but Águilas walked off with the win. Tyler White hit a 2-run triple and walked, Jack Mayfield finished 2-4, and Telvin Nash went 1-4.

These two teams will play again at 4:00 Eastern.

Industriales 5, Indios 0

Industriales knocked Cris Santamaria around in the final third of the game as all 5 of their runs came off of him; 4 of them were earned. Santamaria allowed 5 hits over 3 innings.

The 2nd game of this series is at 7:00 Eastern.

Happy Birthday - 1/10

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Gonzalo Sanudo (23)
Originally signed as a NDFA out of Mexico by the Twins prior to the 2011 season, Sanudo came to the Astros organization in a March 2013 trade for Mike Kvasnicka. Sanudo started his season in Quad Cities, going 3-0 with a 1.18 ERA and a 0.887 WHIP in seven appearances (two starts). After his mid-May promotion to Lancaster, he had a 6.02 ERA and a 1.414 WHIP in 19 games (six starts).

RHP Vince Wheeland (23)
Drafted by Houston in the 24th round in 2014 out of Oklahoma State, Wheeland appeared in 15 games for Tri-City with a 5.89 ERA and a 1.745 WHIP.

SS Antonio Nuñez (22)
Drafted by Houston in the 18th round in 2014 out of Western Oklahoma State College, Nuñez spent his first season playing for the Greeneville Astros. In 52 games, he hit .190/.342/.241. He walked 36 times while only striking out 26.

These former Astros celebrate the day as well ~

RHP Sammy Gervacio (30)
Gervacio was originally signed by the Astros as a NDFA out of the Dominican Republic in 2002.  He pitched in 35 games for the Astros in 2009 and 2010.  In 2009, he was particularly effective with a 2.14 ERA and a 1.143 WHIP in 29 games. He quickly became a fan favorite in Houston, mainly because of his elaborate wind-up and unconventional pitching style. He last appeared in the Mexican League in 2013.

RHP Larry Hardy (67)
Originally drafted by the Padres in the 23rd round in 1970, this Bellaire, Texas native came to Houston in a December 1975 trade with San Diego. In 15 games for Houston in 1976, he had a 7.06 ERA and a 2.031 WHIP.

1B Jim Lindeman (53)
A first round pick by the Cardinals in 1983, Lindeman signed with Houston as a free agent in February 1993. In nine games with Houston, he hit .348.348/.478.

Tweet of the Day

Friday, January 9, 2015

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Thursday, January 8, 2015

AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE

Wednesday: Perth 7, Adelaide 1

The Bite scored first, but it was all Perth afterwards. Chan-Jong Moon went 0-3.

Thursday: Perth 10, Adelaide 5

The Bite held a 5-2 lead after the 4th, but they were burned by 8 unanswered runs from the Heat to end the game. Chan-Jong Moon hit a double in 4 at-bats and drew a bases-loaded walk in the 4th. Tyler Brunnemann got the final 2 outs of the 8th and allowed an unearned run on a passed ball, a hit, and walked 1.

The third game of this series will take place at 7:20 Australian Western Time.

LIDOM

Gigantes 8, Águilas 6

Both teams scored 3 in the 9th; Gigantes did so to pad their lead, while Águilas made a dent in that lead as they attempted to mount a rally. Jonathan Villar had a solid night at the plate for Águilas as he went 2-4 with a double, a solo homer in the 3rd, and scored 2 runs.


Happy Birthday - 1/9

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Brandon McNitt (23)
Drafted by Houston in the 27th round in 2014 out of Stony Brook, McNitt pitched his first professional season for Tri-City. In 12 games (three starts), he was 2-1 with a 2.78 ERA and a 1.021 WHIP.

These former Astros also celebrate the day ~

RHP Jay Powell (43)
Drafted by the Orioles in the first round in 1993, Powell came to Houston in a July 1998 trade with the Marlins. He pitched in 160 games for Houston in 1998 to 2001 with an ERA of 4.02 and WHIP of 1.549. He was the winning pitcher of record in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series for the Marlins.

OF Stan Javier (51)
Javier came to Houston in an August 1999 trade with the Giants and played in 20 games for the Astros that season with a batting line of .328/.405/.422. Javier was the first player to hit a home run in an interleague game (against the Rangers) when he played for the Giants. He got his World Series ring when he played for Oakland in 1989.

RHP T. J. Mathews (45)
Originally drafted by the Cardinals in the 36th round in 1992, Matthews signed with Houston as a free agent in January 2002 and pitched in 12 games for the Astros that season with an ERA of 3.44 and WHIP of 1.309.

Tweet of the Day

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Astros Winter League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, January 6, and Wednesday, January 7, 2015

LIDOM

Wednesday: Estrellas 2, Águilas 1 in 10 innings

Jonathan Villar went 0-3 with a strikeout for Águilas, who dropped into a tie for 2nd with Estrellas.

Tonight, Águilas will host their bitter rivals, Gigantes. First pitch is at 7:30 Atlantic.

LIGA DE BÉISBOL PROFESIONAL ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Results from Tuesday

Santurce 4, Caguas 2

Caguas put up 2 in the bottom of the 4th to tie, but it would be short-lived as Santurce scored 1 in the 5th and added an insurance run in the 9th. Ruben Sosa hit a double in 4 at-bats and scored a run for the Cangrejeros.

Roberto Peña entered the game as a defensive sub for Caguas in the 5th and finished the game, going 1-2 at the plate.

Mayagüez 5, Carolina 3

Mayagüez scored their 5 runs in the final 3 innings of the game, culminating with a 2-run top of the 9th to give them the lead. Carlos Corporán got the start behind the plate for Carolina and finished 2-3 with a solo homer in the 5th inning, his 1st of the round-robin phase. Jobduan Morales grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the 9th.

Wednesday: Carolina 1, Santurce 0

Corporán and Morales (the DH) both went 0-3; Morales struck out twice. Carolina dealt Santurce their first loss of the round-robin.

After an off day today, these two teams will meet again on Friday; Carolina is hosting. In the other matchup, Caguas will travel to Mayagüez that evening.

PROBEIS PANAMA

Tuesday: Indios 4, Caballos 0

Rodrigo Ayarza got the start in right field for Indios and went 2-4 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Jose Montero worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 8th.

For Caballos, Jack Mayfield and Telvin Nash both went 1-3, while Tyler White finished 1-4.

Wednesday: Indios 1, Caballos 0

It's been a tough stretch as of late for Caballos; they've been shut out in 3 of their last 4 games, with a 9-8 win over Industriales sandwiched in between. Mayfield finished 0-3 with a walk and 2 strikeouts, White was 1-2 with a couple of walks, and Nash went 0-4 with a hat trick. Ayarza went 1-3 and scored the only rnn of the game in the 8th on a single from Luis Barahona.

Tonight, Caballos will take on Águilas, while Indios will square off against Industriales. Both games will take place at 7:00 Eastern.

An Interview with Astros RHP Justin Ferrell

I'll admit that I've been a bit intrigued with Astros RHP Justin Ferrell and when I saw him talking on twitter to friend of the blog Bill Morton a couple weeks back, I butted right in and asked him for an interview. Ferrell may not be the highest Astros draft pick of 2014 (36th round), but he certainly stand outs ... literally. Ferrell is listed as being 6'7" and 190 pounds. Wrap your head around that one for a minute. And the listed weight may even have been a little bit generous. But he assured me that he has put on 15 pounds so far over the offseason and is trying to put on a few more before he reports to Spring Training.

Justin Ferrell - July 2014
Photo Courtesy Bryan Green

I caught up with Justin by phone last week to learn a little bit more about him. As always, the first question I had for him was regarding his pitch repertoire. He throws a 2-seam and a 4-seam fastball, slider, curveball and changeup. The fastball sits in the low 90's and tops out at around 94, and he considers his curveball his best pitch. He's been working on both the slider and curve in the offseason, trying to coax a little tighter spin out of the pitches. His changeup, neglected in college, came in very handy in his first professional season. Having been used as a closer in college, he didn't have much need for the pitch, but since the Astros have him in the starting rotation, the changeup was something he relied on. Naturally, with his height, all of his pitches move on a downward plane.

Of the draft process, Ferrell said, "I talked to Jim Stevenson (an Astros area scout). He came and watched me pitch at Connor which was the JuCo (junior college) that I went to. About a month before the draft, they told me about where they thought I'd get picked, which I'd heard anywhere from 10 to 20 (10th to 20th rounds), and I was waiting around and waiting around and I didn't go. He called me in the 22nd round and asked if I still wanted to go. I said, 'Yeah, it's what I always wanted to do.' I didn't get picked until the 36th which is OK. It doesn't matter too much. After your top 10 rounds, you're all in the same boat. That's how I look at it anyway."

Once Ferrell got to the Gulf Coast League and got started with his professional career, he said, "My first couple of starts, my command was kind of shaky, just being in a new atmosphere and everything." As far as what we can expect to see from him, "If you ever see me pitch, you'll see that I'll go after hitters. I try not to pitch around them. I'll try to attack them from the very beginning."

What does he feel that he accomplished in his first season? Ferrell replied, "Just my maturity on the mound as far as facing more advanced hitters and learning how to pitch to them, keeping them off balance, keeping them guessing." And what is he working on? "There's a lot of stuff. I feel like you can learn stuff every time you go out on the mound, but as far as advancing myself, I'd say just getting the leadoff guy out. If I didn't get the first guy out, that always seemed like (those) were the runs that would hurt me."

When I asked Ferrell who on that GCL team had a pitch he'd like to steal, he told me, "My buddy Travis Ballew. He was in Corpus Christi and then he came down and pitched with us and he throws a sinker, a sink fastball. I'd like to learn that one here pretty soon or at least start working on it."

Of the GCL hitter he would least like to face, Ferrell said, "All our hitters were pretty good. I'd probably want to least face Dexture McCall. He was good all season and if you leave a fastball up to him, he has a powerful swing and he knows what to do with it."

Which fielders did he particularly like having behind him when he pitched? "Kristian Trompiz (middle infielder). He got moved up to Tri-City later on in the season, but I really liked Kristian. Him and Edwin Medina. He played centerfield for us for a little while and he got moved up to Greeneville. Those two, they really stuck out. They were always making good plays." When I asked if Medina had a good arm, Ferrell told me, "Yeah, but he didn't really need his arm ... because he'd run balls down everywhere."

If he couldn't play baseball, Ferrell said, "I'd definitely still watch baseball, but I'd go back to school. I was going to do dentistry before, but now I'm looking to go back and get my degree and start my own landscaping business."

When I asked Ferrell to tell me something about himself that most people don't know, he told me that most people who follow him on twitter might not know that he likes to hunt and fish since he never really talks about that. "I grew up deer hunting. I'm not just a city boy," Ferrell drawled in his heavy Oklahoma accent as if to emphasize that point.

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Thank you for your time, Justin, and best of luck as your journey continues.

Happy Birthday - 1/8

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Samil de los Santos (21)
Signed by the Astros as a non-drafted free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2011, de los Santos made his first 11 appearances of the 2014 season with the GCL and his last four with the Greeneville Astros, combining for a 4.58 ERA and a 1.576 WHIP. He walked 12 and struck out 28 in 19.2 innings.

LF Danry Vasquez (21)
Originally signed by the Tigers as a NDFA out of Venezuela in 2010, Vasquez came to the Astros organization in the July 2013 Jose Veras trade. Vasquez spent his 2014 season with High A Lancaster, hitting .291/.353/.407 with 30 doubles, two triples, five home runs and 47 RBI in 114 games.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

CF Jim Busby (died July 8, 1996 at 69)
Busby came to Houston as a free agent and played in 15 games for the Colt .45's in 1962 at the end of his career, hitting .182/.308/.182 in 11 at-bats. He was an All-Star with the White Sox in 1951 but his best season was for the Washington Senators in 1953 when he hit .312/.358/.415 in 150 games.

3B Gene Freese (died June 19, 2013 at 79)
Freese came to Houston in a July 1966 trade with the White Sox and played in 21 games for the Astros at the end of his career with forgettable results. His best season was arguably his 1961 season with the Reds when he hit .277/.307/.466 with 27 doubles, two triples and 26 home runs. In all, he played in the major leagues for 12 seasons.

OF Wilbur Howard (66)
Originally drafted by the Seattle Pilots in the 19th round in 1968, Howard came to Houston in a March 1974 trade with the Brewers. In 450 games played for the Astros from 1974 to 1978 he hit .252/.285/.327. He led the National League in fielding percentage as an outfielder in 1975.

RHP Julio Solano (55)
Solano was signed by Houston as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 1979, and pitched in 82 games for Houston from 1983 to 1987 with a 4.55 ERA and a 1.405 WHIP before being traded to Seattle in September 1987.

2B Dave Matranga (37)
A sixth round pick by the Astros in 1998, Matranga played in 6 games for Houston in 2003. In 5 at-bats, he got one hit -- a home run in his first major league at-bat. He only had one more major league plate appearance (with the Angels in 2005), and did not get a hit.